Does it work to bring on labor?

Does it work to bring on labor? Maybe, maybe not. If your practitioner prescribed sex, it's only because he or she had nothing else up that white sleeve. Your body (and baby) still has the ultimate say; if your cervix and uterus are good and ready, sex can speed the already imminent onset of labor. But if the conditions (and your cervix) aren't ripe yet, then you'll have to wait until all systems are really go. (And if your body still isn't cooperating by the time you hit the week 42 mark, you'll likely be induced — by your practitioner, not by your partner.)

Keep in mind that once your baby does decide to arrive, it will probably be four to six weeks before you'll get the green light for sex again (and then maybe much longer before you'll be in the mood). So make the most of your time together now — sex at the end of your pregnancy can provide an intimacy you won't be able to share again for a while. And if it doesn't give you a baby (at least not right away), at least it'll give you two a private chuckle.